Automating some of your emailing can free up lots of time that you can devote to running your business, and that’s especially important if you’re a small operation without dedicated marketing personnel.
And best of all, it’s really easy to do – you can be up and running in minutes with some basic email functionality. If you want to get more advanced in the future, you can drill into your chosen system to fine-tune or expand it, but here’s a basic starter guide.
Why automate emails?
There will always be personal one-on-one emails that can’t possibly be automated. And there are also your email campaigns run through your mailing list that you might send out on a set schedule or in response to news or offers you have one.
These are vital to your email arsenal, but they are not automated as such. We’re talking about emails that are sent out to groups or individuals depending on certain triggers that you set. Examples include:
- Sending out a link to your new blog post to your entire mailing list
- Sending an individual a welcome email to new subscribers
- Notifying eCommerce customers of new products or deals you have set up on site
- Reminding logged-in customers of abandoned baskets
All this and more can be done through WordPress (including with WooCommerce if you’re selling online).
How do I start?
Automated email support for vanilla WordPress installations is pretty basic – you’ll have emails sent to new subscribers and there are things like password recovery emails, but that’s about it. For full control and enhanced options, you’re best off getting a dedicated plugin. We can’t recommend any specific one as they all appeal to different users, but the three we’re most likely to encounter are:
- MailPoet. We’ve mentioned this plugin before with regard to newsletters, so you’d be right to conclude it’s a bit of an all-rounder. It has all the most useful automation features and good design functions.
- Omnisend. Another versatile plugin, which only works when you’ve got WooCommerce installed. The “omni” in the title is a fair description – you can integrate it with SMS and your brick and mortar operation for a wider spectrum of contact.
- SendPress. SendPress is a growing newsletter platform that incorporates some handy automation features like responsive newsletters. It’s a good compromise if you’re mainly focused on the newsletters but want simple automation.
There are of course other options. Search for email automation on WordPress.com, but make sure any plugin you select has genuine automation – some describe basic newsletter functionality as “automation” which is only true if you compare it to sending 10,000 emails manually!
Need help choosing, installing and operating?
That’s what we do here at Gooey. We have experts at WordPress and general development, as well as eCommerce and email marketing.
That’s why you can drop in and pick out the specific services you need to get your automated email operations up and running. Whether it’s a one-off job or a long-term relationship, we’re at your side to get the job done, saving you time and making your comms that much better. Why not get in touch?
